


Sadistic Choice

by Windona



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Force Visions, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 07:52:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7566094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windona/pseuds/Windona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Obi-Wan goes into an ancient temple strong with the Force, not quite expecting what he experienced.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sadistic Choice

The ancient stone walls had scratches and the occasional weed peeping through the cracks, but not nearly as much as one would expect to see in a temple of this age. Despite the humidity outside, the building itself had a cool and dusty atmosphere, weighted down with history.

All in all, it was what Obi-Wan expected from an ancient Jedi temple. Why Master Yoda insisted that he come artifact hunting in the middle of a war was beyond him. But Jedi lived to serve, and Obi-Wan was a Jedi through and through.

The temple was thick with the Force. Using his senses, it was clearly not the Dark Side, but it was heavy and waiting. Bracing himself for unusual incidents, Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber to light the way as he headed down towards the center of the slowly swirling Force.

It took him down caverns with odd carvings, and words Obi-Wan did not recognize on the wall. Soon, he sensed a Dark presence. It left a faint pressure on his senses at first, but as he went deeper into the Temple and the fog grew, so did recognition.

“Maul,” Obi-Wan said breathlessly. Whatever was down here, it was imperative that the Sith apprentice did not find it first. Chasing after it, Obi-Wan noted that it did not move.

Down and down into the temple he went, until the fog began to clear and he started hearing the sound of clinking metal. As he walked forth into a large chamber, the fog finally lifted fully.

For a brief moment, Obi-Wan wished it hadn’t, for the chamber did not just contain Darth Maul.

Seeing Obi-Wan’s expression, Maul laughed. He stood on a stone platform behind a large pool of glowing lava, shimmering heat rippling the air between them. Above the pool of lava were two cages connected by a chain and pulley system.

The crux of the problem was who were in the cages. Obi-Wan had no idea how they got there, at least without his notice, but Anakin and the Chancellor were both unconscious in their respective cages.

Maul paced, drawing out the tension for a second before he deigned to explain the situation. “Kenobi. I realize that on Mandalore, I did not understand how to properly motivate you. But now, I think I do.”

Gesturing to the cages, Maul grinned. “The person you love most in the galaxy’s life hangs in balance with the Chancellor of the Republic you have sworn to protect. Right now, the cages are balanced in weight. Of course, that means both cages are lowered into the lava at the same rate. But, in my mercy, I shall give you a key.”

Taking the moment to be dramatic, Maul pulled out said key. It looked like it would fit in the locks on the cages. Stone steps next to the pool of lava on each side would allow him to get close enough to unlock a cage and pull the person out to safety. Obi-Wan glared, waiting for Maul to let the other shoe drop.

Obliging, Maul dangled the key by one hand. “However, should you take one person out of one cage, the other will drop into the lava and instantly be killed. The choice is yours; your duty as a Jedi, or the child you raised and love? Who will you decide to kill?” With that, Maul tossed the key to Obi-Wan with a wicked grin.

Cursing, Obi-Wan looked over at the two cages. Every agonizing second of his indecision brought both of them deeper to doom. The heat from the lava wafted over to him, causing him to sweat profusely. He looked over at the Chancellor, helpless with eyes closed. He looked over at Anakin, who seemed so much younger in unconsciousness. With neither of them awake, would they die unaware of what happened? Or would imminent death cause their eyes to fly open one last time? Would his victims last words be to curse him for his choice?

“Time is ticking away, Kenobi,” Maul growled with his golden eyes glinting.

Obi-Wan knew what he _should_ do. Jedi sacrifice for the Republic, and losing its leader in the time of war would destabilize the Republic like nothing else. By all teachings of the Order, he should let go of his attachment to his apprentice.

He made his choice. Putting his lightsaber away for the time being, he ran to a cage. Quickly and carefully, he inserted the key. Using the Force, he quickly hauled the unconscious body from the hot metal cage, not letting himself feel remorse yet as the other cage fell into the lava.

Brushing some of Anakin’s hair out of his face, he wondered if his former padawan would hate him for letting the Chancellor die. After all, Anakin had seen the old man as a mentor. At least Anakin would be alive to hate him.

The sound of Darth Maul hmming reminded him that the threat wasn’t over. Standing up, Obi-Wan pulled out his lightsaber and stood above Anakin.

Shaking his head, Maul just smiled. Genuinely. Maul's features smoothed uncharacteristically, and seemed almost benevolent. With perfect sincerity, the figure said, “It seems you passed the test, Jedi, and made the right choice. Remember what made you choose to save the Chosen One.”

At those words, the figures in the hall faded into mist. Maul, the cages, Anakin- all proved to be an illusion in the Force.

“A vision,” Obi-Wan muttered, looking around the place. There was a pool that glowed, but the light was not lava, merely luminescent rocks underneath water. There were no cages, nor a pulley system to support any. Looking around, it was clear that Obi-Wan was the only one in the room. Any Force presence other than the temple was gone.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Obi-Wan let himself sink to the floor for a second. Tests and visions from the Force were not ones to be taken lightly. He turned over what the illusionary Maul had said in his mind. He let his attachment get the better of him, and thus made the right choice to pass the test?

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan sighed. Clearly it was because while the Chancellor was important to the Republic, the Chosen One was important to the Force itself. Attachment had nothing to do with it.

Oddly, upon making that conclusion the presence of the temple felt like it was giving a weary sigh. Pushing it out of his mind, Obi-Wan continued through the temple to see if there were any artifacts worth reporting before he went back to Coruscant.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea for a long time. It doesn't really fit in any of my WIPs, so here it is in its unbetad glory.


End file.
